Image Comics
It’s Wednesday! That means a new batch of comic books, trade paperbacks, and graphic novels are coming your way. At Geeks in Art, we know it can be hard to keep up with weekly series, as much as you may want. Thankfully, you can still enjoy your favourite stories through trade paperbacks and graphic novels.
Marvel
Staying on top of your favourite comics can be difficult, especially if you have an otherwise incredibly busy life. I know I can barely remember to put on pants when I meet the medicine delivery person at the door (because I also can’t remember to actually pick stuff up when I am out). For those of us with scattered brains and busy lives, trade paperbacks and graphic novels are the best way to enjoy comic books and the medium as a whole.
Ok, but will this give me superpowers?
This was literally my first thought after being introduced to the concept and science behind neurofeedback. It’s a fair question, too. I mean, if it can train the brain recover from trauma and alleviate the symptoms of numerous mental illnesses, why not introduce a few superpowers as part of the process? The answer, by the way, is an unfortunate no, but neurofeedback therapy can do something even better, give patients back control over their own minds.
It’s the middle of January, and chances are you’ve blown at least a New Year’s resolution or two. And that’s okay, it happens to everyone. When the year is fresh and our minds optimistic, it’s easy to feel overly ambitious about making dramatic changes to your life. After all, it’s a new year with new possibilities, why not resolve to make the biggest, most life-altering changes possible?
Earlier today, the BBC released the latest trailer for “Twice Upon a Time,” the Doctor Who Christmas special. It has quips, excitement, two TARDISes, and it hits you right in the heart. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so ready for the Doctor to present as a woman, and I am especially excited about Jodie Whittaker’s casting (I adore her). But I’m also no where near ready to let go of Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, or Bill as his companion. I mean, couldn’t a timey-wimey thing happen and we could somehow have both? No? Ugh. Fine.
Before you watch the trailer, there are obvious:
And also, be warned:
Okay, now that you’ve been adequately warned, take a look at the trailer below:
There is a lot going on for such a short trailer. It begins with a clip we have all seen before, the Twelfth Doctor encountering the First, played by David Bradley, who was perfectly cast in the role originally played by William Hartnell. Bradley also portrayed this Doctor in “An Adventure in Time and Space” – another multi-Doctor special.
Personally, I always enjoy multi-Doctor episodes. The dynamic between the versions of the Doctors is always interesting to watch. I’m particularly excited to see how judgmental of one the other is. For example, I love the sunglasses quip – the First Doctor is right, they do look ridiculous indoors.
The fun doesn’t last, and the trailer quickly reminds you that this is the last time we will see Twelve or Bill, in a way that just hurts. She literally tells him to come back alive, to which he responds “be here when I do,” and I sobbed “but he won’t, Bill, he won’t.” To rub salt in that wound, the trailer also gives you a brief glimpse of Capaldi regenerating, with a voiceover reminding us that “the regeneration is coming.”
Bill, the First Doctor, and the Twelfth Doctor are joined by a World War One Captain played by Mark Gatiss (who has appeared in and written several episodes throughout the show’s run). The Captain has been targeted by the Glass People, who freeze time to kidnap their victims.
The Doctor Who Christmas special airs in Canada on Space at 9:00pm Eastern.
Breaking up is hard to do. In fact, it downright sucks. Even when you know it’s for the best, you feel objectively the worst. Having a breakup routine, complete with dramatic haircut and a somewhat dispirited return to Tinder, can sometimes help. Being able to share you misery with some of your favourites from the nerdier side of pop culture can also do wonders. So, grab your kleenex and comfort food of choice, and sob along as we relive some truly heartbreaking breakups.
September is a chaotic time for just about every family. Back-to-school time comes with homework, assignments, special lunch days, dress-up days, and fees for numerous activities due on a variety of dates. Even if you don’t have kids, this is the perfect time of year to start a new organizational strategy. The fresh fall air is perfect for a fresh fall start. This DIY watercolour weekly planner is remarkably easy to make and is so pretty you’ll want to keep using it.
Ashley Perna/Geeks in Art
BBC
One of the most anticipated casting announcements happened earlier this year, when Jodie Whittaker was confirmed as the next Doctor – becoming the first woman to step into that role in over 50 years. While there was the expected pushback from *ahem* certain fans, others were incredibly excited. Some people even responded by expressing a new, or renewed, interest in the series. It is a huge step in the right direction for representation, and something we should celebrate. As we all impatiently await further details about Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, it’s the perfect chance to familiarize yourself with the accomplished British actress.
My dad and I shared many things: incredibly dark hair, arm hair that one could braid, a love of Law & Order, and an obsession with music. Though we often commiserated or joked about those other commonalities, music was what really bonded us together. In the 90s, before digital radio displays, we would challenge each other to “name that song.” More often than not, we could get it right within seconds. Many of my favourite childhood memories involve errand running with Dad, because we would play this game in the car. Canadian bands were our specialty.
My father passed away five years ago next week. I’m nearly 34 years old (my birthday also being next week) and had dealt with my fair share of grief over the years. This time, though, it was completely different. Grief hit me hard. I bounced back and forth between each stage randomly and unpredictably. I’d spend hours just sitting on the couch, staring off into space, reliving memories over and over again. It was though I was worried they’d fade, that I’d forget the sound of his voice or how he was the only person who could make grocery shopping fun. I had no idea how to cope, if any of what I was feeling was “normal”, and felt completely and utterly alone, despite the offers of help and shoulders from friends and family members.
Everyone deals with grief in their own unique way. Obviously, the coping techniques I had used up until this point weren’t exactly the healthiest ones. Finding strategies that work can be hard. Sometimes it takes a while before you stumble on the right ones for you. For me, pursuing my geeky interests with the goal of finding ways to heal helped. I’ll never “be okay” with a world without my dad. My step mom phrased it perfectly when she said that things wouldn’t be normal again; we just have to find a new normal now. Nothing will remove the ache that his death caused, but finding solace in comic books, sci-fi, and fantasy helped me cope.
Flowers & FIshnets
A friend of mine at work suggested I try to lose myself in a book, thinking that a fictional world might give me a bit of an escape. Her idea was sound, but I simply didn’t have the focus for prose. I’d stare off into space, obsessively committing minor details about my dad to memory. I had started to read comic books before he passed away, but this was limited to Batwoman and Detective Comics. Afterwards, I noticed that I was able to focus long enough to read a single issue. From here, my reading branched out to include heroes and characters from multiple publishers and creators. One moment that stood out was reading an issue of Birds of Prey, in which Black Canary speaks of her mother, who, like my dad, passed away after a battle with cancer. Despite the fact that there was very little else we had in common, knowing that she persevered gave me strength. I eventually looked up Secret Origins #50 to read the story itself.
Grief is an isolating experience. Even though others around you are mourning the loss of the same person, no two people go through the same set of emotions. Navigating conflicting and confusing emotions is tricky under the best of circumstances. With the addition of loss and the type of pain that comes with it, it can be downright impossible. In times like these, many of us turn to stories to help make sense of the overwhelming feelings loss creates. Watching characters sort through similar emotions can help us process our own. Knowing that it is possible to manage grief and come through on the other side is empowering. When you are dealing with such a helpless emotion, any type of empowerment goes a long way.
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One of my favourite stories about The Princess Bride involves Mandy Patinkin and his role as Inigo Montoya. While filming his part as the iconic swordsman, Patinkin was still grieving the loss of his father to cancer. The lines, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die” and “I want my father back you son of a bitch” have since become infamous, and were directed to the cancer that killed his dad. In one interview, Patinkin elaborated, saying:
I feel that when I killed that six-fingered man, I killed the cancer that killed my father. And I remember we were outside that castle and I took a walk in this beautiful moat and I just kept talking to my dad, saying, ‘I’m gonna right it, I’m gonna right this wrong.’ And for a moment he was alive, and my fairy tale came true.
I heard this for the first time after my dad passed away, and it hit particularly close to home. Not just because The Princess Bride is the best movie ever made, but because it was one my dad and I shared. We watched that VHS tape until it wore out (they were like DVDs, but didn’t last as long and you had to rewind them). Now, whenever I’m missing my dad too much I rewatch The Princess Bride. Only instead of pretending to be Buttercup or Westley (as I usually do), I focus on Inigo. Cheering him on helps process some of those powerful feelings.
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Grief as played out on the small screen can also be incredibly helpful. There is no guidebook on how to handle grief, but watching your favourite characters figure it out, in healthy and unhealthy ways, is cathartic. Anya’s inability to grasp the concept of death on Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one moment that always stands out. Those few lines capture so many emotions: sorrow, disbelief, anger, and confusion chief among them. It’s important to remind yourself that the stages of grief are not linear, nor are they mutually exclusive. Sometimes you experience them all at once, or feel yourself thrown between multiple stages. Watching other characters feel conflicted can validate your own experiences.
My Awesome Dad
There is no easy way to deal with grief. There are no magical series of steps that you can take or combination of exercises that will diminish the pain. For me, embracing my inner geek was what worked. Losing myself in media that reflected this very relatable feeling against a bigger backdrop of monsters or miracles helped me process this devastating loss. Sci-fi, fantasy, and comic books were my escape from, and inspiration for dealing with, reality. For you it might be sports, or sitcoms, or myths, or stand-up comedy. Having characters you can relate to, who are dealing with similar emotions, can make you feel less alone. Sometimes you need to avoid those feelings altogether, and seeking solace in entertainment without reminders of the grief you are enduring is ideal. In other cases, seeing your emotions reflected and validated in the media you consume is exactly the small act of self care you need to continue coping. Working your way through grief is an ongoing process. There are no simple steps, nor will you ever completely heal. Things won’t “go back to normal.” But losing yourself in a story with relatable characters navigating the same complicated minefield of emotions can help you find your new normal.
